traction control MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 2003 W163 Owner's Manual

Contents
Loading.............................................. 139
Loading instructions..................... 139
Partition net* ............................... 141
Cargo area cover blind* ............... 143
Cargo floor plates ........................ 144
Roof rack*.................................... 145
Driving systems ................................. 146
Cruise control .............................. 146
Parktronic system*
(Parking assist) ............................ 149
Useful features .................................. 152
Interior storage spaces ................ 152
Cup holders.................................. 154
Armrest in rear seat bench .......... 155
Ashtrays and cigarette lighter ...... 156
Electrical outlet ............................ 158
Telephone* .................................. 158
Tele Aid* ...................................... 159
Garage door opener ..................... 168
Trip computer*............................. 172Operation......................................... 177
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) ......... 178
Driving instructions............................ 179
Drive sensibly – save fuel............. 179Drinking and driving ...................... 179
Pedals ........................................... 179
Power assistance .......................... 179
Brakes........................................... 180
Driving off ..................................... 181
Parking.......................................... 182
Tires .............................................. 182
Hydroplaning................................. 183
Tire traction .................................. 183
Tire speed rating ........................... 184
Winter driving instructions ............ 184
Standing water.............................. 185
Off-road driving ............................. 186
Trailer towing ................................ 192
Passenger compartment ............... 196
Driving abroad .............................. 197
Control and operation of radio
transmitters .................................. 197
Catalytic converter........................ 198
Emission control ........................... 198
Coolant temperature..................... 199
At the gas station ............................... 200
Check regularly and
before a long trip .......................... 201Engine compartment .......................... 202
Hood ............................................. 202
Engine oil ...................................... 203
Transmission fluid level ................ 206
Coolant ......................................... 206
Battery .......................................... 207
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system ........... 208
Tires and wheels ................................ 209
Important guidelines ..................... 209
Life of tire ..................................... 210
Direction of rotation ..................... 210
Checking tire inflation pressure .... 211
Rotating wheels ............................ 212
Winter driving ..................................... 213
Winter tires ................................... 213
Block heater (Canada only) ........... 214
Snow chains ................................. 214
Maintenance ...................................... 215
Clearing the service indicator ....... 215
Service term exceeded ................. 215
Calling up the service indicator .... 216
Resetting the service indicator ..... 216
Vehicle care ....................................... 217
Cleaning and care
of the vehicle ................................ 217

73 Safety and Security
Driving and safety systems
BAS
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten-
tially reducing braking distance. Apply con-
tinuous full braking pressure until the
emergency braking situation is over. The
ABS will prevent the wheels from locking.
When you release the brake pedal the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.
The
¿
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster (page 25) lights up when you
turn the key to position2. It goes out when
the engine is running.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 225).
4-ETS
The 4-Electronic Traction System (4-ETS)
improves vehicle’s ability to utilize avail-
able traction, especially under slippery
road conditions. The brakes are applied to
the spinning wheel and power is trans-
ferred to the wheel(s) with traction.
The traction control engages at vehicle
speeds up to approximately 24 mph
(40 km / h), and switches off at 50 mph
(80 km / h).
The
{
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster (page 25) lights up when you
turn the key to position2. It goes out when
the engine is running.
The 4-ETS/ESP warning lamp
v
, locat-
ed in the speedometer dial, starts to flash
at any vehicle speed, as soon as the tires
lose traction and the wheels begin to spin.
Warning!
G
The BAS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking efficiency beyond that af-
forded by the condition of the vehicle brakes
and tires or the traction afforded. The BAS
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, fol-
lowing another vehicle too closely, or aqua-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents. The capabili-
ties of a BAS equipped vehicle must never
be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user’s
safety or the safety of others.

143 Controls in detail
Loading
Cargo area cover blind*
1Handle
2Holder
Closing blind
Pull blind on handle1 across the cargo
area.

Guide blind into holders2.Opening blind

Disengage blind and guide retraction
by its handle.
Removing blind
3Button
4Mounting sleeve

Roll the blind up.

Push mounting sleeve4 inward against
spring pressure until it engages.

Remove blind from mounts.Installing blind

Place left side of blind in left mount.

Position right side of blind over right
mount.

Push button3, releasing mounting
sleeve to slide into mount.
Warning!
G
Passenger use of third row seats with cargo
area cover blind installed is restricted.

146 Controls in detailDriving systems
Driving systemsThe driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control, with which the vehicle
can maintain a preset speed


Parktronic*, with which you can assist
your parking maneuvers.
The driving systems BAS, ABS, ESP, EBB
and 4-ETS, are described in the “Safety
and Security” section (
page 71).
Cruise control
Cruise control automatically maintains the
speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set any speed
over 20 mph (30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever found on the left-hand side of the
steering column (
page 23).
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver is and must remain
responsible for the vehicle speed and for
safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.


Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

183 Operation
Driving instructions
The tread wear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.
Specified tire pressures must be main-
tained. This applies particularly if the tires
are subjected to high loads (e.g. high
speeds, heavy loads, high ambient temper-
atures).
Hydroplaning
Depending on the depth of the water on
the road, hydroplaning may occur even at
low speeds and with new tires. Reduce ve-
hicle speed, avoid track grooves in the
road and apply brakes cautiously in the
rain.Tire traction
The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or
icy road is always lower than on a dry road.You should pay particular attention to the
condition of the road whenever the outside
temperatures are close to the freezing
point.
Mercedes-Benz recommends M+S rated
radial-ply tires for the winter season for all
four wheels to insure normal balanced
handling characteristics. On packed snow,
they can reduce your stopping distance as
compared with summer tires. Stopping
distance, however, is still considerably
greater than when the road is not covered
with snow or ice. Exercise appropriate cau-
tion.
Warning!
G
Do not allow your tires to wear down too far.
As tread depth approaches
1/16in
(1.5 mm), the adhesion properties on a wet
road are sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.
Warning!
G
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects
the ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You
may lose control of the vehicle. Continued
driving with a flat tire or driving at high
speed with a flat tire will cause excessive
heat build-up and possibly a fire.
Warning!
G
If ice has formed on the road, tire traction
will be substantially reduced. Under such
weather conditions, drive, steer and brake
with extreme caution.

291 Technical data
Consumer information
Consumer information
This has been prepared as required of all
manufacturers of passenger cars under Ti-
tle 49, Code of U.S. Federal Regulations,
Part 575 pursuant to the “National Traffic
and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966”.Uniform tire quality grading
Quality grades can be found, where appli-
cable, on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades.Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear one
a nd one-ha lf (1 ½ ) tim es as wel l on the gov-
ernment course as a tire graded 100. The
relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest
are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades repre-
sent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pave-
ment as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.Tread wear
Traction
Temperature
200
AA
A
Warning!
G
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straightahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.

304 IndexDisplay messages
Error 235
Service indicator (FSS) 235
StArt 235
Displays
Service indicator 215
Distance remaining 175
Door entry lamps 107
Door unlock
With Tele Aid* 167
Doors
Opening from inside vehicle 86
Opening from outside 85
Downhill driving
Cruise control 147
Downshifting 113
Drink holder see Cup holder 155
Drinking and driving 179
Driving 40, 45
Abroad 197
General instructions 179
In winter 184
Problems 49
Safety systems 71
Through standing water 185
Driving abroad 197Driving instructions 179
Towing a trailer 194
Driving off 181
Driving safety systems
4-ETS 73
ABS 71
BAS 73
ESP 75
Driving systems 146
Cruise control 146
Driving safety systems 71
EBP 74
Parktronic* 149
Driving through water 189
E
Easy entry/exit feature* 95
EBP 74
Indicator lamp 229
Economy mode
Automatic climate control 125
Electric air pump 238
Electrical connections
Trailer 192
Electrical fuses 271
Electrical outlet 158Electrical system
Technical data 281
Electronic Brake Proportioning see EBP
Electronic Stability Program see ESP 25,
75
Electronic stability program see ESP 294
Electronic Traction System see 4-ETS 25
Emergency call system
Requirements 160
Emergency call system* 160
Emergency calls
Initiating an emergency call 163
With Tele Aid* 161
Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode) 117
Emergency operations
Closing sliding/pop-up roof 246
Locking the vehicle 243
Opening sliding/pop-up roof 246
Remote door unlock 167
Unlocking the vehicle 242
Emergency tensioning device
see ETD 62, 294
Emission control 198
Emission control label 276

317 Index
Tilt
Head restraint 36
Time
Setting hours 112
Setting minutes 112
Tire inflation pressure
Checking 201, 211
Tire speed rating 184, 296
Tire traction 183
Tires 209, 279, 291
Direction of rotation 210
Driving instructions 182
Retreads 209
Rims and tires 279
Rotating 212
Service life 210
Temperature 211
Temperature grades 292
Tread depth 213
Wear pattern 212
Winter 213
Tools 237
Vehicle jack 237
Vehicles with CD-changer* 238
Wheel bolt wrench 237Tow-away alarm 29, 79
Arming 79
Disarming 79
Disarming for transport 79
Towing
Trailer 192
Towing a trailer 194
Automatic transmission 117
Towing eyes
Front 269
Rear 269
Towing the vehicle 267
Stranded vehicle 270
Tracking services
For stolen vehicle 168
Traction 291, 296
Trailer
Attaching 194
Loading 193
Towing 194
Trailer hitches 192
Trailer towing 192
Attaching a trailer 194
Checking weights 193
Electrical connections 192
Hitches 192Loading 193
Parking 196
Weights and ratings 193
Trailer weights and ratings 193
Transfer case 296
Transmission control – LOW RANGE
mode 118
Switching off 118
Switching on 118
Transmission selector lever 245
Unlocking manually 245
Tread depth (tires) 213
Treadwear 291
Trip computer
Average fuel consumption 175
Compass 173
Distance remaining 175
Selecting functions 172
Setting date 172
Stop watch 175
Switching on 172
Trip computer* 29, 172
Country 176
Language 176
Trip odometer
Resetting 112